A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry
Oh, great just what I needed to see so close to graduating - whynow
Posted: Nov 30, 2012
Before I get jumped on for trying to "stir the pot", I come to this forum quite often. I am a medical transcriptionist and am almost done with my coding course. I will be taking the CPC sometime in January or February. However, upon doing research on obtaining a coding job after graduating, I came across this. Of course the date is 2011, but it's still fairly recent. This is from the AAPC forum board. My heart literally sank when I saw this. On this board, I have read all of the posts from coders defending how coding jobs will not be off shored or outsourced, but this is just sad. :( Again, I retrieved this off the AAPC site. :(
Unfortunately this seems to be the case nationwide. But you are doing the right thing trying to get into the field on any level. I teach medical billing/coding and have been up front with the students about employment for recent CPC-As. There are a few reasons for this. The economy of course is a factor. Off shoring of many coding jobs is another factor. And the number of schools, courses etc out there churning out CPCs is another factor.
Having said all that, don't give up. Healthcare remains a good field in a bad economy. One thing I would reccomend is specializing. there are a number of CPC specialty exams available. Becoming a specialist I think will give you a better shot at employment and eventually better pay. But even with specialty cert you might have to go through low paying entry level work for a while.
A couple of other things. network as much as you can afford to. Linked in is free for a basic membership. And there are many sites on it including AAPC. Take any free seminars you can find. Usually the local medicare carrier will offer free seminars with CEUs. Go to chapter meetings.
I've been discussing the idea with AAPC of anm emplyment rountable in an upcoming Coding Edge. This would bring together industry leaders to talk about the employment situation, their advice to CPC-As etc.
Keep an eye out for it. And good luck to you.
Jim Strafford CEDC MCS-P
Having said all that, don't give up. Healthcare remains a good field in a bad economy. One thing I would reccomend is specializing. there are a number of CPC specialty exams available. Becoming a specialist I think will give you a better shot at employment and eventually better pay. But even with specialty cert you might have to go through low paying entry level work for a while.
A couple of other things. network as much as you can afford to. Linked in is free for a basic membership. And there are many sites on it including AAPC. Take any free seminars you can find. Usually the local medicare carrier will offer free seminars with CEUs. Go to chapter meetings.
I've been discussing the idea with AAPC of anm emplyment rountable in an upcoming Coding Edge. This would bring together industry leaders to talk about the employment situation, their advice to CPC-As etc.
Keep an eye out for it. And good luck to you.
Jim Strafford CEDC MCS-P
http://www.aapc.com/memberarea/forums/showthread.php?t=49749 Here is the link as well.
A couple of thoughts - anon
[ In Reply To ..]I think that's why a lot of coders on this board also recommend getting the CCS--it will make you more marketable. The man in your post also recommends specialty certification.
Also be willing to take an entry level position. It's something to add to your resume, again making you more marketable. Remember that you don't have to stay at that job forever. Once you get more experience, you can aim for higher positions. Also, apply for any job you feel able to do, even if they require 3 years of experience or whatever. Most times, those jobs are actually entry level and employers just toss in the years requirement for who knows what reason. Case in point--I just came across an ad for a cashier's assistant (aka bagger) that required 3 years of experience! If there was ever an entry level position, it's bagging at a grocery store.
As far as offshoring coding goes, I could perhaps see some really basic basic coding functions being offshored. Perhaps. Functions like compliance and auditing I cannot see being offshored. If you can, I would recommend replying to that guy's post--yes I know it's from 2011, but you never know--ask him for specifics regarding the offshoring of coding, documentation, etc. Have him prove his statement with actual facts, not just suppositions and third-hand accounts of "oh, my neighbor's cousin's boyfriend's sister lost her coding job because it was shipped overseas" kind of story.
In the meantime, attend your local AAPC chapter meeting if you have not done so already. Talk to the coders there about your concerns. Use them also as a networking tool for employment.
As a total aside, but something I think you may find interesting, I took a minute to look up Mr. Jim and his credentials. I found it odd that he had not listed CPC as one of his credentials and frankly had no clue as to what a CEDC or MCS-P was.
What I found is this: a CEDC is an AAPC credential. It is a specialty credential in emergency department coding. However, you DO NOT have to have a CPC to sit for the CEDC exam. Taken from the AAPC website "These specialty credentials are stand-alone certifications with no requirement to hold the CPC® credential." There's about 22 different credentials you could have without first having the CPC.
A simple google search for the MCS-P comes up with this http://www.medicalcompliancetraining.com/index.htm
as the first hit. It's some type of school with Buy Now Discounted Tuition info, which, personally, is never ever a good sign. It still don't fully understand what an MCS-P is or what it is for, or what you can do with it. I can say I haven't seen it on either the AAPC website or the AHIMA website, so I think it's probably a BS credential when it comes to actual coding employment. Other coders, please correct me if I am wrong on that point.
I can for sure say, though, that if he had his CPC, he would have listed it. I would take what he has to say with a grain of salt.
Agree completely - Coder
[ In Reply To ..]I agree with everything you said, anon. Thanks for looking up the credentials . . . I did not know what that second one was, either.
The fact that someone claims to teach billing and coding should not impress you. There is no way to verify it or to know what it means. If he does teach, what is his problem with getting a CPC or CCS? And maybe that explains his students' dismal performance in the job market?
We have posted here that 25% of CPC-As remain unemployed. Nobody ever said that new coders would not have to make an effort to find a job. Making an effort means going the extra mile to make yourself appealing. That includes getting valued credentials. That is why we keep saying that new grads need to get a CCS. You need to maximize your options, not limit them.
As good as AAPC is, it still covers only part of the coding world--outpatient. It does not touch the inpatient hospital side, which is the domain of AHIMA. That is not to say that a CPC cannot find a job in a hospital, but just that an AHIMA credential will really help. In some hospitals it may be required.
All that being said, the bulk of that person's post talked about nothing more than the difficulty in getting ANY job and about ways to maximize your chances. It basically said you will have to make an effort. I am not sure the content warranted leaping to a conclusion that all is doomed.
I am not going to flame the OP for pot-stirring, but I will note that this does not seem to be her only "sky is falling" post. I think she was the one recently who was all worked up about the exam. Now she is all worked up about the job market. There seems to be an "I just realized that I made a horrible mistake" quality to this.
Some people complete courses, buzz through tests, and get jobs with no turmoil. Some experience the same process as a major dramatic production.
The sky is falling? - Anonymous
[ In Reply To ..]Any time someone presents a different point of view or suggests that there may be a down side to pursuing coding, they are singled out for being the person with the problem. I am a former MT and now a CPC who has had difficulty getting a traditional coding job without work experience. People with a CCS credential experience same thing, work experience is the key factor. Anyone switching careers at a certain age would have trouble, and the current economic situation definitely is a factor. I found work in clinical documentation and do not code, but that suits me well. New coders just need to know that it will be difficult, but not impossible. Also, be willing to look at all job opportunities related to health information management, not just those with the word "coding" attached to them.
The sky is not falling - here
[ In Reply To ..]That was not just a different point of view--it was a somewhat hysterical, distorted, and out-of-context view.
I think part of the problem here is that students do not realize that coding skills qualify you for a wide variety of jobs in HIM. Taking one of them instead of "coding" isn't second-best. It is as good a foot in the door as any.
Sure some CCS holders are unemployed. Some of them are frankly unemployable in any field. Does that mean coding is not a good career choice? No.
When the point of view is "OMG! OMG! I just spent a year in school and I wasted my time! OMG! I am totally freaking out because I saw a post written by some totally unknown and barely credentialed person who said some people with CPCs have trouble finding jobs! And it mentioned OFFSHORING! OMG! OMG! And I know you are going to attack me for telling the TRUTH!" it just annoys me.
Why now - jm
[ In Reply To ..]Balance your readings with the other thread on AAPC - "How many gained employment with NO experience." Don't position yourself only in a doomed mindset.
I believe you... - blondie
[ In Reply To ..]I too am going to college for coding and a friend who graduated last year has had no success getting a job. I didn't think too much of it. Then I understood why. The hospitals around here are outsourcing coding now. My heart sank when I learned this. There are quite a few in a radius area here. I said are you kidding me?
It was disheartening. I'm wondering, how do the outsource companies pay?
They pay extremely well - Employed Coder
[ In Reply To ..]One problem with college coding programs is that they flood the local market with coders, resulting in more and more graduates being
unable to find jobs.
Another is that many college programs do not teach enough for the student to pass a certification exam, or they teach to the CCA.
Another is that college programs emphasize working in hospitals. There are a lot more jobs in non-hospital settings.
If you maintain a defeatist attitude toward anything in life, you will be defeated. My suggestion is to learn your new career well, get the CPC and CCS, and market yourself in a wide variety of jobs. Your friend is not you, so do not assume you will have the same experience.
My organization outsources some of its coding simply because it cannot find enough credentialed coders.
I've seen this more and more here too - anon
[ In Reply To ..]with new graduates saying they were having a hard time getting a job. Advice seems to be get your foot in the door any which way you can but don't expect to make good money for a few years. It's one of the reasons I haven't made a decision yet to get into coding.
The last time someone asked on this board if any 2011 or 2012 graduates had found a job, not one person responded.
2010 grad - Anonymous
[ In Reply To ..]I finished my program in 2010 and got one of those "foot in the door jobs" where I do a lot of different things related to health informatics. I was able to stay at my MT job while I looked and I won't lie, it took a long time. I don't code but it pays well, I do have a CPC credential. Most people don't start at the top in any field so look at the big picture. Your first job in the coding world may not be your dream job but it can lead to a lot of different things. Finding a job is hard for new coding grads, but it's hard for everyone these days.
Outsource companies - Anonymous
[ In Reply To ..]I don't have any real knowledge of coding outsourcing because my local facilities keep everything on site. From what I understand from reading and talking to people, though, is that outsourcing is done more to handle overflow work than it is as a permanent thing. Some coders also travel to different sites and consult and do audits. Outsourcing is probably not why your friend didn't get a job. Besides that, hospitals are not the only place coders can work; outpatient facililties, doctors offices and insurance companies are some that I can name. I do think the outsource companies pay well.
outsourcing jobs - recentlyoutsourced
[ In Reply To ..]our hospital (who has since outsourced our entire department to an MTSO) once had an MTSO come in for overflow. "We WILL NOT outsource your jobs, we just need to get caught up." BS! Within 3 years they outsourced our entire department (mind you, we were current on our backlog every day!). We were also told that we would get said ER reports back after they were caught up. AGAIN, didn't happen. Don't EVER let them fool you into believing that you will not be outsourced because it HAPPENS. All in the name of the bottom dollar!
I agree - sm
[ In Reply To ..]My local hospital just outsourced the transcription and coding department to the same company. They laid off 13 people. Their next move is to outsource the medical billers and collections people to a company. I'm starting to think that maybe I should be going into healthcare IT instead.
Suggestion - Educate yourself about the career field
[ In Reply To ..]The first thing to do in considering a new career field is to find out what the career field really is and how it fits into related careers.
You told a horror story that did not involve you at all and that we have heard here before (and I believe we explained the real story behind it and said it should not worry you) and then made a dramatic statement that you think you should be going into health IT instead of coding.
Health informatics is a great field. I would absolutely recommend it. But, I think you need to find out more about it.
I say that because when you get into your health IT course, you are going to discover that you have to take coding. Yup, that's right! Why? Because they are all part of the same field -- health information administration. In fact, if you do the WGU program, I am pretty sure they make you take and pass the CCA exam.
Six or half a dozen . . . it is all related. Do coding first or do HI first . . . you will end up doing and USING both. I am sure about it because that IS my career. I am not just wandering through here mouthing off suppositions and stories from the news.
Whatever you decide . . . just decide and get on with doing it. Talking about it and thinking about it for months on end is not getting you anywhere.
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